Haider Butt
University of Birmingham, UK
Title: Printable holograms and nanophotonic devices via laser ablation
Biography
Biography: Haider Butt
Abstract
Nanostructures due to their vast applications have been the focus of enormous research in the past decade. Th e key challenge for producing nanostructures based commercial applications is the scaling up of the fabrication process. We present the fabrication of ink based nanostructures by using the fast and commercially viable method of holographic laser ablation. A pulsed laser beam was irradiated onto a glass substrate coated with a thin semi-absorbing coating (ink or gold thin fi lms), which was to be nanopatterned. Th e beam is passed through the sample and is refl ected from the mirror below. Interference occurs between the two laser beams traveling in opposite directions, resulting in an interference pattern which ablates a well-ordered grating on to the surface. Th e period of the grating is determined by the incident wavelength (λ) and tilt angle (θ) of the sample with respect to normal incidence. In this manner, we recorded various holographic nanopatterns onto thin fi lms of ink/gold. Using this quick, scale and economical method, we produced several nanophotonic devices, such as optical gratings, lenses and holograms.